Details of exactly who may be considered for the role, or how such an arrangement might work, remain unclear.

But Mr Skelton – chairman of the victim support group Families Moving On – said he believes that he could command support from “the victims’ sector for a start,” and from people “right across the political divide”.

He said people are “fed up” of the abstentionist approach of Sinn Fein, which has held the seat easily since 2001.

“I’d love to stand,” he said.

“I want to move forward, not sit and stew the way we’re doing.”

If he succeeded, it would “show backing for a victim of the Troubles, somebody that’d have the respect of both communities; that’d be the most important thing – respect”.

By contrast, Alan McBride, who was also left bereaved by a republican bomb attack, has now said the idea of a shared victims’ candidate may prove “toxic”.

The West Tyrone seat was vacated by Mr McElduff following the controversy around a video of him balancing a loaf of Kingsmill bread on his head, published online on the anniversary of the IRA massacre of the same name.

Mr Skelton, now aged 63, has spoken in the past of the travails he has faced following the 1998 Omagh blast.

He had been in the next shop over from his wife when she was killed. He told the Derry Journal in 2015 he turned to drink in the aftermath, and repeatedly primed himself to commit suicide.